For Fudge, gaining control of Hogwarts was the only thing that could give him any comfort now. Ever since last year's Triwizard Tournament, nothing had gone right for the Ministry of Magic.
Azkaban had even been attacked at Christmas. Scrimgeour had led a team there and stopped a mass breakout, capturing quite a few Death Eaters in the process. But the attack itself was a dangerous sign.
Fudge had even suspected that Dumbledore had arranged the whole thing, staging it all himself. He knew Dumbledore was capable of it.
Dumbledore was also capable of destroying Dementors. That was why he could have struck a deal with them—Fudge had not forgotten how every Dementor sent to Hogwarts two years ago had vanished in a single day.
Dumbledore had assured him at the time that he had nothing to do with it, but Fudge had never believed him. Who else could have done such a thing?
Fudge knew he could not match Dumbledore's power. That made it all the more important to use the Ministry of Magic under his command to stand against him.
And over the past two years, Dumbledore had put him under increasing pressure. As a politician with a keen nose for politics, Fudge had long since seen Dumbledore's true face: he was a hypocritical schemer.
Dumbledore had helped him become Minister for Magic because he thought Fudge was stupid, weak, and easy to manipulate. That would make it convenient to seize power later. But Dumbledore clearly had not realized that Fudge had only been pretending to be a fool.
Not only had Fudge held the position of Minister for Magic for all these years, but since last year, he had also kept Dumbledore firmly on the defensive through a campaign in the press.
And Dumbledore still wanted to